The Susan Dixon Volunteer Award is given annually to honor the life of Susan Dixon, a Santa Fe Trail parent and PTA member who died of cancer in 2003. The award is given to a PTA volunteer who exemplifies Susan’s giving nature and uplifting spirit. Candidates for the award are:
- Typically, but not exclusively, a volunteer whose youngest child is graduating from sixth grade.
- Typically, but not exclusively, a volunteer whose child(ren) attended K-6 at Santa Fe Trail.
- A volunteer who has been an active member of PTA for all/most of the period their child(ren) attended Santa Fe Trail.
Any individual in the Santa Fe Trail community can submit a nomination for the Susan Dixon Volunteer Award. If you know an SFT PTA volunteer who you think should be considered for the Susan Dixon Volunteer Award, please email us!
In 2026, we had the privilege of honoring two very deserving and dedicated volunteers for their lasting impact on SFT.
2026 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Jenni Miller
Jenni Miller is as dependable and organized as the day is long and has been a gift to our school community throughout her seven years at SFT. Jenni got involved with the PTA not long after her son started at the school, and she served four years on the PTA board, including two years as vice president and two years as president. During her time on the board, as well as before and after, she gave of her time in many other ways, including as an event volunteer and as the leader for various committees and initiatives that no one else stepped up to take on.
And in the Miller household, SFT volunteering has been a family affair—Jenni’s husband, Casey, has also given of his time and many talents over the years, heading up the beloved Chess Club last year, playing alongside his super-fun band at the annual auction fundraiser a couple years ago, and many other duties as self-assigned.
As mom to an only child, Jenni often said, “I only get to go through this once, and I want to be as helpful as I can while we’re here.”
Indeed, Jenni has been a friendly, committed, and visible leader and helper throughout her family’s time at SFT, and we are so grateful for her gracious gifts of time and talent. Congratulations to Jenni Miller, winner of the 2026 Susan Dixon Award!
2026 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Rachelle Tracz Pratt
Rachelle Tracz Pratt has given countless hours to our school community throughout the 11 years her two daughters attended SFT. She served multiple terms as an officer on the PTA board, holding various roles from secretary to vice president. Over the years, she chaired or co-chaired many committees and events, including the annual auction fundraiser, the Fun Run, and the spring carnival. She coordinated the front-hall bulletin board for multiple years and consistently served as a room parent. She and her helpful husband, Cory Pratt, have been staples at school activities, rolling up their sleeves to help in all kinds of ways.
Rachelle has made a big impact in her many years of volunteering in support of our students, teachers, staff, and families, and she will be missed as her youngest moves on to middle school. Congratulations to Rachelle Tracz, winner of the 2026 Susan Dixon Award!
2025 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Kevin and Allison Cloud
2024 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Marie Haake (left), Jenni Miller (right)
The Susan Dixon Volunteer Award is given annually to honor the life of Susan Dixon, a Santa Fe Trail parent and PTA member who died of cancer in 2003. The award is given to a PTA volunteer who exemplifies Susan’s giving nature and uplifting spirit.
Here is some of Jenny’s speech from yesterday recognizing her friend Marie.
“Marie is an active PTA member and Mom to a 4th grader, 6th grader and 8th grader. She has served on the PTA in a variety of roles over the years, including kindergarten round up, chat and chew, countless hours volunteering in the classroom and years of service on the PTA board as secretary.
Marie has quietly provided her time to SFT through the years and we are overjoyed to recognize her years of service at SFT. She leads by example and is always willing to help and needs no recognition.
Marie is so generous and dependable. She has been a quiet force behind the SFT PTA and because of her dedication time and talents, so many great memories have been made at SFT” 
Please join us in giving a huge congratulations and THANK YOU to Marie!!
2023 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Emily Beecher
Emily, who is active at SFT in many capacities, most recently served as the chair of both the 2022 and 2023 PTA Auctions both of which were record-breaking fundraising events. In their award nomination submissions, nominators praised Emily for her deep and broad involvement within the school and throughout our school community, remarking on her joyful nature, generous spirit and tenacity of effort.
Emily is a true queen, befitting the wreath crown she appears to be wearing in this photo. (And ignore the court jester on the right. We tried today to recreate the ceremonial presentation of the certificate since we didn’t get a good close-up of Emily when she was originally presented with the honor during yesterday’s PBIS assembly. But really it just looks like I’m over here trying to steal her certificate. 
)
Many congratulations on this well-deserved honor, Mrs. Beecher! We appreciate you!
2022 Susan Dixon Award Winner
Heather Mayfield
From among a handful of worthy candidates, Heather was enthusiastically chosen based on her breadth and depth of volunteer leadership during the time her two sons, now a rising 7th grader and a graduated senior, were at SFT. A teacher herself, Heather is intimately familiar with the value of a strong PTA/volunteer network in helping make the school a great environment for both students and teachers/staff.
The epitome of a standout volunteer, Heather served in several different officer roles on the PTA board and as the chair of numerous committees, as well as a rank-and-file volunteer at events and activities. In addition to serving as treasurer, then vice president, then president, she also chaired the book fair and was the creator of the Holiday Lights Tour and Contest, now a beloved annual SFT tradition. She organized teacher/staff appreciation efforts, including leading the charge to establish a substantive, unrestricted annual classroom grant for each certified teacher—grants that are now among PTA’s most essential, useful expenditures each year.
Heather leaves a great legacy at Santa Fe Trail, and we are truly grateful for all of her service and leadership over the years. Please join me in congratulating Heather for an honor quite well deserved!